Saloon and salon are different European spellings for the same word. Google “saloon etymology” for a full explanation. It just means a place to sit or gather.

The borat movie scene where he explains why it’s better to be a dictatorship drives this point home better.

You have a point, but originally interest was both compensation for the lander for offering you the loan, and a way to mitigate risk in case you fail to pay. Without interest, why would anyone lend a random stranger some money? Interest is basically the only things that props up an unsecured loan.

Only if you don’t have insider info.